Apparatus for drawing off and delivering hosiery blanks on straight-bar knitting machines



April 23, 195 J. vAcLAvl'K EI'AL 2,789,423 APPARATUS FOR DRAWING on" AND DELIVERING HOSIERY BLANKS ON STRAIGHT-BAR KNITTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 23, 1955 I" a II a 5/ 2W m v 0% M mun mm A ril 23, 1957 J. vAcLAvlK ETAL 2,789,423

APPARATUS FOR DRAWING OFF AND DELIVERING HOSIERY BLANKS ON STRAIGHT-BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 23, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3

April 23, 1957 J. vAcLAvfK ETAL APPARATUS FOR DRAWING OFF AND DELIVERING HOSIERY BLANKS on STRAIGHT-BAR KNITTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-sheaf. :5

Filed March 23, 1955 Mum/w;

m a r e a? u Z h April 23, 1957 J. VACLAVIK ETAL 2,789,423

APPARATUS FOR DRAWING OFF AND DELIVERING HOSIERY BLANKS ON STRAIGHT-BAR KNITTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 23, 1955 United States PatentD APPARATUS FOR DRAWING OFF AND DELIVER- ING HOSIERY BLANKS ON STRAIGHT-BAR KNITTING MACHINES Jaroslav Vaclavik, Gottwaldov, and Frantisek Tylaika,

Zadverice, Czechoslovakia, assignors to Zapadomoravske strojirny, narodni podnik, Trebic, Czechoslovakia Application March 23, 1955, Serial No. 496,285

Claims priority, application Czechoslovakia March 31, 1954 6 Claims. (Cl. 66-149) unwind the finished blank manually. In a more recent design of the aforesaid drawing off apparatus, the blank pressed off the frame needles is completely wound on the draw-off rollers so as to be finally, with the drawoif rollers turning in the opposite direction, automatically unwound into a discharge container arranged underneath the draw-off rollers.

In both cases it happens, particularly in multi-section machines, that during knitting, as a result of a defective adjustment of the machine or of uneven thickness of the yarn stocking blanks of different lengths are formed, whereby the shorter ones are drawn off with the full force intended for the draw-off of all blanks, whilst the longer ones are hanging through. This results in a deterioration of the quality, appearance and consequently of the saleability of the goods. Moreover, the aforesaid automatic devices are of an intricate and expensive construction.

The present invention aims at eliminating the aforesaid drawbacks by such an arrangement that each stocking blank is drawn oft" along with the welt rod by two rollers, the surface of the one roller being provided with grooves, whilst the surface of the other roller is smooth. The grooves which serve to guide the rolled selvedges of the blank extend preferably in the form of screw threads in a direction towards the center of the draw-off roller, providing for a smooth center portion of a width corresponding approximately to the narrowest portion of the stocking blank.

The chief advantage of the device according to the present invention consists in its sensitivity, dependability and simplicity. The arrangement of the roller pair enables in case of need the overtensioned blank to glide back, thus rendering an even distribution of the drawing-off force on the individual blanks of the machine possible.

The accompanying drawings illustrate merely those elements of an embodiment, given byway of example, which are necessary for an understanding of the subjectmatter of the present invention. The drawings illustrate 2,789,423 Patented Apr. 23, 1957 Fig. 1 a plan view of the device according to the invention provided on a straight-bar knitting machine, witha control mechanism for the roller pair,

Fig. 2 a detail of the roller pair for drawing off the stocking blank in an extended condition during knitting the leg, drawn to enlarged scale,

Fig. 3 the same detail of the roller pair shown in Fig. 2 for drawing ofi the blank during knitting the toe,

Fig. 4 a vertical sectional view along the plane 4-4 in Fig. l, at a moment of rest of the roller pair,

Fig. 5 a vertical sectional view along the plane 5-5 in Fig. 1, at a moment of the roller pair being in action,

Fig. 6 the same section as in Fig. 5 but with the roller pair being at rest,

Figs. 7 to 13 vertical sectional views of the' device along the plane 6-6 in Fig. l, in different operative positions.

The device according to the present invention consists of a pair of blank-engaging rollers 1, 2 extending in parallel relationship, the draw-off roller 1 being linked through the medium of an elastic member, not illustrated in the drawings, with a transversal shaft 3-controlled by a ratchet and pawl mechanism not illustrated and driven in a direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. The surface of the positively driven roller 1 is provided with grooves 4 extending along screw'threads towards a smooth median portion 5 of a width corresponding to the narrowest part of the stocking blank 6.' The outer end of each such rightand left-handed spiral 7, 8 begins with an inlet groove 9 whilst the inner end is formed by an inner discharge groove 10, the depth of the grooves 4, 9 and 10 being equal. The pitch of the grooves 4 corresponds substantially to the gradual narrowing of the stocking blank 6 or 60 in an extended condition, the rolled selvedges 11 of which are received during knitting in the inlet or discharge grooves 9, 10 as well as in the grooves 4 (Figs. 2, 3). On both sides of the roller 1 are drive rollers 12 provided which are fixedly connected with the shaft 3 and have circumferentially arranged pins 13 for taking the well known endless perforated and unresilient draw-off bands 14 along (Fig. 1'). The latter are guided over pulleys 15 loosely mounted for rotation on pins 16 of carriers 17 fixedly connected with the worktable 18 of the machine (Fig. ,4). Each draw-off band 14 provided with perforations 19 for engaging the pins 13 of the drive rollers 12, carries a draw-off hook 20 to take one of the welt rods 21 along which are stored in magazines 22 (Fig. 9). The pressure roller 2 with smooth surface is supported to rotate freely on conical points 23 of screws 24 arranged adjustably in levers 25 (Fig. 1). A stay rod 26 links both levers 25 supported in a freely turnable manner on a transverse shaft 27 (Fig. 4). One end of the rod 26 projecting from the lever 25 carries an offset pivot 28 (Fig. 5) against which bears a spring 29 provided within a recess of a thrust block 30. The adjustment of said thrust block 30 connected fixedly with the shaft 27 enables the force of the spring 29 and thereby also the pressure acting from the roller 2 on the roller 1 to be altered in accordance with the condition of the knitted fabric. The axial position of the roller 2 with respect to the roller 1 is secured by the engagement of the pivot 28 in a slot 31 provided in a guide member 32 fixed on the thrust block 30.

A control mechanism A (Figs. 1, 4), governing the roller pair 1, 2 and the draw-off hooks 20, consists of an endless, perforated [and unelastic band 33 which is taken along through the action of a drive roller 34 fixed on the shaft 3 in unison with the dnaw-off bands 14 over pulleys 15. On the outer side of the band 33, two abutments 35, 36 of different height are arranged at a certain distance from each other. With these abutments 35, 36 is co-operating the free end of a lever 37 which, like a further lever 38, is fixedly connected with the shaft 27. A pull rod 40 linked with the pivot 39 of the lever 38 is connected with a lever 41 pivotally supported on a pivot 42 of a bracket 43. A spring 44 secured at one end to the pivot 39 and at the other end to the hinge 45 of a frame 46 urges the nose 47 of the lever 41 against the circumference of a cam 48 fixed on a transverse shaft 49. This circular cam 48 is provided on its circumference with two recesses 58, 51 (Fig. 4) wherebetween there is a tooth 52. The movement of the cam 48 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4, is taken from a main camshaft of the machine, not illustrated in the drawings. A container 53 provided underneath each of the roller pairs 1, 2 serves for the reception of the drawn-off stocking blank 6 or 60 as well as of the welt rod 21 (Fig. 7). In Figs. 7 to 10 the frame needles 54 and the welt hooks 55, co-operating therewith, of a welt bar 56 are indicated. This bar 56 is shifted horizontally in a well known manner by the turning movement of a transverse shaft 57 land rollers 58 fixed thereon, each traction path 59 embracing the respective roller 58 and being fastened at its free end to the welt bar 56.

The above described apparatus operates in the following manner:

During the drawing-01f operation on the initial courses of the new stocking blank 60 by means of the welt hooks 55 of the bar 56 in a direction away from the frame needles 54, the finished stocking blank 6 pressed off the needles 54 remains resiliently clamped between the smooth median portion of the roller 1 and the roller 2 to be drawn oif (Fig. 7). The presser roller 2 when in its operative position I and contacting the blank 6 is imparted a turning movement through the control mechanism A, i. e. under the action of the cam 48 on the nose 47 of the lever 41 and under the influence of the spring 29 on the stay rod 26 (Fig. 5) of the positively driven draw-off roller 1. Likewise both bands 14 are taken along with the draw-01f hooks 20 as well as the band 33 with the abutments 35, 36 under the action of the drive rollers 12, 34 in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 7, as the free end of the lever 37 is outside the range of the :abutments 35, 36. As soon as I the toe of the stocking blank 6 leaves the roller pair 1, 2, the cam 48 is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4 whereby the nose 47 of the lever 41 is brought under the influence of the spring 44 into engagement with the recess 5% The shaft 27, thrust block 30 and lever 37 are angularly displaced in such a way that the spring 29 allows the stay rod 26, the levers 25 and the roller 2 to be turned about the shaft 27 into the inoperative position II as shown in Figs. 4, 6, 8. The free end of the lever 37 approaches the band 33 to get into the path of the higher abutment 36 without affecting the lower abutment 35. The turning motion of the roller 1 is interrupted for a short period and the draw-off hooks 20 remain in a prepanatory position V (Fig. 8) until the welt rod 21 falls out of the magazines 22 onto a further stocking blank 60. After thewelt rod 21 has dropped onto the blank 69 (Fig. 9), the cam 48 is further turned in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 4, whereby the nose 47 of the lever 41 moves along on the tooth 52. The shaft 27, lever 37 and roller 2 are displaced to position III shown in Fig. 9 wherein the higher abutment 36 is released so that the shaft 3 is enabled to move further along with the bands 14 and 33 in the previous direction. The welt rod 21 is seized by the horizontal advance of the draw-off hooks 20 of both bands 14 and taken along.

As a result of a further angular displacement of the cam 48, the nose 47 of the lever 41 under the influence of the spring 44 glides off the tooth 52 into the recess 51. The turning movement of the shaft 27 and the pivotal displacement of the lever 37 as well as that of the roller 2 into an inoperative position IV as shown in Fig. 10 enables the lower abutment 35 to co-operate with the free end of the lever 37. After the change over of the double welt as shown in Fig. 11, the blank 69 is drawn off under the influence of the bands 14. As soon as the blank reaches the draw-01f roller 1, the rolled selvedges 11 of the blank 60 are introduced into both outer inlet grooves 9 and into the grooves 4 of the roller 1 (Fig. 2). As soon as the lower abutment 35 of the band 33 contacts the free end of the lever 37, the draw-off hooks 20 as well as the Welt rod 21 assume a releasing position VI (Fig. 12) between the separated rollers 1, 2 so as to enable the welt rod 21 to leave safely by gravity the draw-oft hook 20. 'The short drawing-off the blank 60 through the weight of the welt rod 21 is interrupted by the angular displacement of the presser roller 2 and lever 37 from the inoperative position IV as shown in Fig. 12 into the operative position I shown in Fig. 13. The aforesaid angular displacement of the roller 2 is brought about by the turning motion of the cam 48 during which the nose 47 of the lever 41 moves out of the recess 51 on the circular circumference of the cam 48. The lower abutment 35 as well as the further activity of the ratchet and pawl mechanism (not illustrated) of the roller 1 are now unhindered. During knitting the last courses of the toe of the stocking blank 6 or 60 on the frame needles 54, the rolled selvedges 11 are guided in both inner grooves 10 of the roller 1 (Fig. 3). After the finished blank 6 or 60 is pressed off the frame needles 54, it is further gripped resiliently under the action of the smooth median portion 5 of the roller 1 and roller 2 and drawn off completely into the container 53 (Fig. 7). The aforesaid process of drawing olf and discharging the blank and welt rod is automatically repeated.

The present invention is by no means confined to the embodiment above described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but can be modified in details and adapted for use in other machines operating under similar working conditions, such as e. g. flat knitting machines. More particularly, the apparatus to carry out the basic idea of the invention into effect may be modified e. g. by substituting for the endless band 33 either a finite band, not illustrated in the drawings, or one of the bands 14.

Having exactly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner it is to be used, we declare that what we claim is:

1. An apparatus for drawing off and discharging hosiery blanks on a straight-bar knitting machine, comprising a welt rod for engaging a hosiery blank, endless bands for actuating the welt rod for drawing off the hosiery blank, and a pair of blank-engaging rollers for further drawing off the hosiery blank, one roller being provided with grooves on its surface and the other roller being smooth.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the grooved roller includes a smooth center portion and two grooved outer portions, the center portion corresponding in width approximately to the narrowed part of the hosiery blank, the grooves extending spirally.

3. In the apparatus according to claim 1, another endless band, the grooved roller, the endless bands, and the other endless band being positively driven, the smooth roller being adapted to be swung in and out of engagement with the grooved roller, a mechanism to control the drawing off actions of the endless bands and rollers, and means to operate the control mechanism, the control mechanism being adapted to swing the smooth roller in and out of said engagement and to interrupt the rotation of the grooved roller and the travel of the endless bands by cooperating with the other endless band.

4. In the apparatus according to claim 3, a shaft fixedly carrying the grooved roller and three drive pulleys, two of said pulleys forming a pair, with one pulley at each side of the grooved roller, and having the endless bands trained around, the third pulley having the other band trained around, the endless bands being adapted to carry a welt rod.

5. In the apparatus according to claim 3, the operating means including a rotatably arranged cam, the other endless band carrying abutments, and the control mechanism including a swinging lever arranged to swing in action at predetermined intervals to engage the abutments and thus to interrupt the travel of all the bands.

6. In the apparatus according to claim 5, the endless band spacedly carrying two abu-tments of different height, the higher abutment being engaged by said lever preparatory to the engagement of a new hosiery blank by a welt rod, the lower abutment being engaged to allow the welt rod to disengage from the endless bands.

No references cited. 

